Falling Back
by italianangel38
Summary: A newbie comes to Horizon and doesn't like Jules at all, but does like Scott, when the newbie gets hurt it's up to Jules to save her but will she do it? and will Scott fall back into his old way of life? Chapter 4 is up
1. Default Chapter

Hey this is my first Higher Ground Fic, I know everyone says this but I can't believe they canceled the show! Oh well we'll have to keep it alive at fanfic.net right? Please R&R  
  
A/N: so that everything's clear, the kids that are there are Ezra, Juliette, Auggie, Scott, Daisy, and Anna (my character) are in the story, Shelby has gone home so Scott isn't very happy at Horizon.  
  
  
"You wanted to see me?" Sophie asked walking into Peter's office.  
  
"Yea, we're getting a newbie today. A girl 16, she's riding up with Auggie's parents and Auggie." Peter told her  
  
"Uh oh, I can already sense the trouble. How come her parents didn't bring her up?"  
  
"They had business to take of, sounds like they were just waiting for Auggie's parents to make the trip and ask for a convenient favor." Peter answered  
  
"What's her story?" Sophie asks  
  
"Sneaking out, running with some bad kids, they think maybe drugs. She seems like a kid who's craves attention."  
  
"They're usually the hardest to work with too" Sophie says "When will they get here?"  
  
"Any minute actually, so be prepared" Peter warned.  
  
"Thanks Peter. I'll go gather of the kids."  
  
"All right." Peter got out some files and finished up some paperwork.  
  
"Uh Peter, Sophie said to tell you Auggie and Anna are here…..who's Anna?" Scott asked from the doorway  
  
"The newest cliffhanger." Peter answered "Come on let's go meet her."  
  
"Yea, I'd rather not. Later." Scott turned around  
  
"Scott, you're going to have to get over Shelby sometime you know, she's not coming back, life goes on."  
  
Scott waved his hand saying basically 'whatever' and walked away.  
  
***************  
  
"Auggie!" Jules exclaimed happily as she ran out to greet Auggie.  
  
"Hey Jules, miss me?" Auggie asked giving her a hug.  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"Good, Jules this is Anna Maria, but just stick with Anna." Auggie introduced Jules to a pretty girl who had dark brown hair and eyes, she was thin and nicely tanned from the summer sun. She got out silently and nodded when Auggie introduced her to Jules.  
  
"Hello Anna I'm Peter." Peter introduced himself, as did Sophie, Anna just looked around quietly.  
  
"She has not spoken a word since her parents told her she was coming up here with us." Auggie's mother whispered. "Augosto snuck out while he was home with his brother, I couldn't be sure, but Anna was probably with him."  
  
"Did she make any trouble when she was told she was coming here?" Sophie asked  
  
"None at all, it was horrible she just went to her room and packed her things. She was never outright bad it was always more quiet you could say." His mother said  
  
"All right, Anna come with me." Peter gestured her to follow him. "Checkpoint" He explained "I need to check out your things. And normally you'd wash off your make-up and take off your jewelry but seeing how you don't have any one, this shouldn't take long." Peter tried to make conversation as he went through her things.  
  
"You'd never find anything." Anna finally spoke up.  
  
"Excuse me?" Peter asked  
  
"Had I anything in my bag, you'd never of found it." Anna said quite simply  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"Cause you're looking in all the wrong places."  
  
"So where should I be looking then?" Peter asked  
  
"If I told you that, a lot whole lot of people here would be very angry and neither of us want a bunch of angry crazy kids now do we?" She asked sweetly.  
  
"No, I guess not. OK you're clean, I'll get Sophie to show you your cabin." Peter said  
  
"Can't wait." She answered dryly  
  
**********************  
  
"You can unpack later, right now it's almost time for dinner, but before dinner you and the rest of the cliffhangers will have a little meeting, basically to introduce you to everyone else." Sophie said.  
  
Anna didn't say a word and just followed Sophie out and to the main hall.  
  
"Guys, this is Anna, the newest cliffhanger." Peter said as Anna and Sophie walked in. "Anna this is Scott, Daisy, Ezra and you already met Juliette and Auggie."  
  
The remaining three mumbled a barely audible hello.  
  
"OK Anna right now we'd usually talk about anything really, today is why you're here." Peter prompted her.  
  
Anna waited a second before saying "Don't expect me to say anything, I don't know why I'm here."  
  
"Drugs?" Daisy asked  
  
"Sneaking out?" Ezra said  
  
"Eating disorder?" Jules added  
  
Anna raised her eyebrows "I'M not bulimic" Anna said pointedly to Jules "But yea I sneak out, maybe drink a little, experiment nothing none of you guys hasn't done right?" She asked mischievously   
  
"Anna the point of being here is to bring people up not down, and to overcome your problems not create new ones." Peter said.  
  
"Who's creating problems? And who has problems? You consider this problems you should go spend a night out on the streets"  
  
"Have you?" Peter asked  
  
"Yea, me and Auggie have been known to kick it on the streets a little before his parents dragged him up here. A little when he came back, old habits die hard you know."  
  
Scott started to listen to Anna speak, her voice was soothing, she spoke clearly and was sure in everything she said, she wasn't harsh either, she just told it like it was. They all had problems and she was right old habits do die hard.  
  
"Speaking of that Auggie you'll have some extra cleaning time on your hands because of your disappearing act." Peter told him.  
  
"Right, my mom told you?" He asked  
  
"Got it." Peter answered  
  
"Anyone hungry? The kitchen is serving now." Sophie said  
  
"No" Anna answered.  
  
"Anorexia is as bad as bulimia you know" Jules muttered  
  
"Good thing I'm not anorexic then, I ate before when we stopped at a restaurant." Anna said evenly the tension between the two girls apparent   
  
"Ouch" Ezra muttered to Scott who laughed in response.  
  
"Let's all go inside." Peter instructed "Whether you eat or not."  
  
******************  
  
"We all have to sit over here" Auggie pointed as he walked Anna over to a table.   
  
"All of us?" She asked "Even Jules?"  
  
"All of us, and Jules will grow on you I swear."  
  
"I don't know what you see in her." Anna said shaking her head.  
  
They were interrupted by the rest of the group sitting down.  
  
"Here" Daisy pushed a glass across the table. "In case you get thirsty"  
  
"Thanks" Anna said a little surprised "Daisy right?"  
  
"Got it in one" Daisy replied.  
  
Anna looked around the table and her eyes landed on Scott's food, who was sitting next to her. "That looks gross" She commented  
  
"It is, but you get used to it." He replied  
  
"Yea until you get to go out to dinner then it tastes like crap for another week." Ezra added  
  
Anna laughed, Scott thought it sounded like a song. "Your girlfriend just left here right?" Anna asked him interrupting his thoughts  
  
"She's not my girlfriend anymore, we decided to break up not to long ago." Scott answered  
  
"Sorry, I mean it too." Anna said   
  
"I believe you"  
  
"It's so depressing here, I mean you can feel everyone's problems just weighing down onto you, I can drive someone crazy."   
  
"It can sometimes." Scott admitted. "Come on you want to go take a walk?"  
  
"Yea." Anna got up and Scott told Peter he was going to show Anna around. "Let's stop by my cabin first." Anna said once they were outside.  
  
"All right." They walked inside and Anna went over to her bags. "Home Economics did come in handy." She announced pulling out a sock and turning it inside out where there a was pouch sewn into it. "All right I'm done"  
  
Scott eyes the pouch. "What do you have?" He asked  
  
"All in due time" Anna promised with a sparkle in her eye  
  
"We can go over there." Scott pointed to a secluded corner where the lights weren't shining.  
  
"Great." Anna walked over.  
  
"What are the effects?" Scott asked watching as she opened it up.  
  
"None tonight, tomorrow you'll feel a little disoriented a little wobbly on your feet really, a little dizzy kind of like if you hadn't eaten all day. Which is the cop out that I use."  
  
"Great." Scott answered.  
  
*********************  
  
"Good morning, good morning. I need to see the cliffhangers." Peter announced at breakfast.  
  
"What's up Peter?" Auggie asked  
  
"Time for a trip." Peter announced "For the next two nights maybe more if it takes us. We'll climb up the rock trail in the woods. Cross the river and come back down the other side." Peter told them.  
  
"Sounds hard." Jules complained  
  
"And long" Daisy added  
  
"Not to mention painful" Ezra said.  
  
"Suck it up guys. Then when you do go pack"  
  
"What if we don't ever suck it up?" Anna asked  
  
"Be ready in a half hour." Peter answered  
  
*******************  
  
"So what exactly do we pack?" Anna asked frowning at her clothes.  
  
"All your warmest clothes for four nights." Daisy advised  
  
"Peter said we're going for two though" Anna said starting to pack  
  
"Yea, but that probably means three and there's a good chance you'll get wet in the river" Daisy said  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"Cause we're going to walk through the river."   
  
"All right, four nights then" Anna said grabbing clothes.  
  
**********************  
  
"How do you feel?" Anna asked Scott as they started up the trail  
  
"So-so what about you?"  
  
"A little out of it" She said faltering in her step a little.   
  
Scott steadied her "Careful, at home no one would notice since your not climbing a mountain Peter or Sophie will notice everything." He warned  
  
"Thanks" Anna replied.   
  
"All right time to partner off" Peter announced "We'll be crossing two at a time, at the other side be careful, untie the rope then send it back, there's a big fall over there so watch it. Jules and Anna your up first."  
  
(A/N: it's one rope that's strung through a loop so two people can use one rope, it's hard to explain but I thought I should try to explain)  
  
  
Anna made a face and walked to the front and let Peter tie up her and Jules so they could make their way across.  
  
"OK first swing yourself over there then you have to cross around that sharp turn, after that you have to send the rope back and then move over to where the grass is then your safe." Peter instructed  
  
"Shouldn't you go first?" Anna asked  
  
"Sophie and I have to be last, in case anything goes wrong." Peter explained  
  
"And if anything goes wrong over there?" Anna muttered waiting for Jules to get ready.  
  
"OK go!" Peter shouted  
  
Anna swung over then crossed around the corner, she waited to Jules to get there, then they took off the rope.   
  
"Watch!" Jules exclaimed "You're going to make yourself fall."  
  
"I'm fine, why do you care anyway?" Anna asked  
  
"Look, I care about you as much as the next person, why can't you just be nice? You got a problem with everything."   
  
"No I have a problem with you." Anna retorted  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cause Auggie can do better then you, and then he goes for you anyway and you break his heart so he comes home and screws up again. Your no good for him. And besides I just don't like you." Anna said hotly  
  
"Throw the ropes back!" Peter yelled from the other side. He couldn't see the girls, he hoped it was a good idea to send them first.  
  
"Listen-" Jules turned around to yell at Anna but saw her holding her head crouching down. "Are you ok?"  
  
"Yes, just leave me alone" Anna muttered  
  
"We need to get Peter." Jules said worried.   
  
"No! Don't ohh." Anna groaned and tried to stand up.  
  
Jules tried to help her but threw Anna off balance, Anna screamed and Jules managed to grab Anna before she fell any further but not before Anna hit hard against the rocks, when she was sure Anna wouldn't fall any further Jules swung the rope back around then grabbed hold of Anna again with both hands and tried to wake her up.  
  
*************  
  
"What happened?" Peter yelled unable to do anything because he didn't have to rope. "Sophie, you and Auggie run back and get some help. Daisy and Ezra stay here to keep hold of everything, Scott you're coming with me." Peter instructed "The rope! Throw it back!" Peter yelled.  
  
The rope swung back around and Peter and Scott hurriedly tied themselves up and went to the girls.  
  
"What happened?" Peter asked as he set foot on the ground, falling to his stomach and pulling Anna up.   
  
"She fell, I knocked her off balance, I caught her before she fell" Jules sobbed  
  
"How did you manage to get the rope back?" Scott asked doubtfully  
  
"She was leaning on a rock, so I swung it back with one arm, then grabbed hold again, I only let go for like a second. I swear I didn't push her or anything." Jules cried.  
  
"Calm down Jules. We need to get Anna back." Peter picked Anna up and he swung back to the other side with her in his arms. Ezra and Daisy helped him on the other side. Then Scott and Jules came across.   
  
"The park rangers are here" Auggie said from above them.  
  
"Tell them to get as close as possible." Peter yelled.  
  
"All right" Auggie yelled back  
  
*******************  
  
In the hospital.   
  
"They found drugs in her blood." Peter told Sophie after he talked to the doctor.  
  
"Well at least we know Jules didn't push her."  
  
"One day she was here and she's already taken drugs, fallen off a cliff, and been to the hospital."  
  
"How is she doing anyway?" Sophie asked  
  
"She hit her head badly which knocked her unconscious and she slightly fractured her wrist, and basically got a few bumps from hitting into the side. She'll be back tonight." Peter answered  
  
"In a way you can almost not blame her. Her parents told her she was coming here, then didn't even bring her themselves, no good-bye or anything I heard it must of been hard on her." Sophie sympathized   
  
"Yea, but now she has to learn to talk about this kind of thing, not pop a pill or something."  
  
"Speaking of which where'd she get it? I thought you said she was clean."  
  
"She was, but she said if she had anything I wouldn't of found it. I don't know if that means she did or if she got it from someone else."  
  
"But who, she was only around the cliffhangers last night and she wasn't alone with them" Sophie said  
  
"Yes, she was, she and Scott went off alone after dinner so she could show her around." Peter remembered.   
  
"You don't think Scott….?"  
  
"We'll find out soon enough" Peter answered  
  
TBC'd you guys like? I hope so please R&R  



	2. Guilt Gut

Hey thanx for all the reviews on my previous chapter, before I go on let me explain a few things, 1st: I made up Anna, I don't know if there was an Anna in the show but if there was it's an accident, 2nd this takes place around when Auggie went home for a visit the only difference is Shelby is gone, you'll see why in this chapter. Please keep R&R thanx!  
  
  
  
The cliffhangers were sitting in the main waiting room, when Peter, Sophie, and Anna came in.   
  
"How is she?" Jules asked  
  
"Yea is she all right?" Auggie questioned  
  
Scott looked on cautiously his head was pounding from both worry and from the side effects.   
  
"Anna is going to be fine." Sophie assured them  
  
"Everyone take a seat." Peter said firmly  
  
Anna sat on the couch slowly, and carefully, cringing slightly.   
  
Peter noticed but didn't say anything. "Perhaps some of you are not clear with the rules of Horizon, there are to be no drugs here, no weapons, no fighting, no sneaking out, and-"  
  
"Can you just say what you mean? Please?" Anna asked suddenly "This place is supposed to be about honesty and making people better, so don't you think you should be honest and say what you really mean?"  
  
Surprised Peter, looked at Sophie who shrugged. "OK, honesty is good, Anna I have reason to believe you used drugs, and that someone else did with you."  
  
"Yea I did, but I was on my own on this one." Anna answered  
  
"I thought you said honesty was best" Peter replied looking from her and Scott.  
  
"It is and I am being honest, I told you that you would never of found anything."   
  
Peter sighed, he wasn't going to win this one. "Do you have anything else?"  
  
"Here, that's all I brought up here." Anna tosses him a small pouch similar to the one from the night before.  
  
Peter looked inside and sighed. "Thank you Anna, I'll tell you what your punishment is - when I figure it out. From now on please talk to us if you're having problems."  
  
"Whatever." Anna answered lightly  
  
Scott watched as everyone slowly filed out, then leaned over towards Anna "Why'd you cover for me? I can take my own heat?"  
  
"They'll go easy on me, cause they think I have problems, I don't want any trouble for you if it isn't necessary."   
  
"Do you have anything left honestly?" Scott asked  
  
"No I don't…." Scott looked slightly disappointed "….but I can get some more." Anna answered  
  
"Don't worry Scotty, all you have to do is ask." Anna cooed. "Come on let's go see what's happening with dinner."  
  
Scott grinned happily, he liked being around Anna, it made him feel alive.  
  
Sophie and Peter watched as the two walked into the kitchen.   
  
"I don't like how close they are to each other." Peter stated  
  
"It's just a crush Peter, a harmless crush. I wouldn't worry about it." Sophie assured him.  
  
"I don't know…. Anna has this fire in her, she isn't broken easily, and Scott is going to feed off of it." Peter said shaking his head.  
  
"Oh Peter you don't know that."  
  
"Believe me I hope I'm wrong, I really do."  
  
********************  
  
"So what's the deal with you and Shelby?" Anna asked as she and Scott sat down, the others hadn't sat down yet.  
  
"What do you mean?" Scott asked concentrating on his mashed potatoes.   
  
"Scott, you know exactly what I mean."  
  
Scott sighed "Shelby's mom decided it was time for them to become a family again, so Shelby' left and there was no point in trying to stay together, it would never of worked."  
  
"So you guys just decided to break it off?" Anna asked doubtfully  
  
"You don't miss a thing do you?" Scott chuckled "No, I got jealous I was sure she would find a guy back home that was better then me, so I drove her away. In the end? I don't even know if she found some other guy."  
  
"Do you miss her?"  
  
"Sometimes, but sometimes it feels like it's for the best…..like right now."  
  
Anna blushed slightly and looked down at her plate. Daisy sat down next to her.   
  
"I wouldn't worry about Peter, he'll go easy on you. And don't worry Scott I wont rat you out." Daisy smiled  
  
Anna looked at Daisy "How the hell did you know…….?"  
  
"I have good instincts besides you two were horrible yesterday on the trip, the only reason Sophie and Peter didn't notice is because they were trying to figure out what to do with you."   
  
"Do with her?" Scott asked  
  
"Yea, she isn't getting along with Jules, she took drugs, they don't even know exactly what her problem is. Sorry Anna, I don't mean to sound…."   
  
"Hey don't worry about it, I'll be right back." Anna told them getting up.  
  
"Where's Anna going?" Auggie asked  
  
"Looks like she's running away." Jules observed  
  
"Don't be an idiot, she's just getting some fresh air." Scott replied irritated.  
  
"Hey, that's what she was doing last night…." Jules retorted.  
  
*********************  
  
Anna walked briskly to get outside, she took deep heaving breaths, her heart seemed to of stopped, her head was pounding. She stopped at the sound of her name.  
  
"Anna?" Anna didn't move, tears were threatening to spill down her face, her body shook.  
  
"Anna?" The voice asked again.  
  
It was dark and her figure could barely be made out, she stood there silently as though deciding whether to run or stay, she was lost and had no where to call home, as did so many others at Horizon, Anna still believed that she was alone.   
  
"I'm fine" She answered carefully.  
  
"I know, you're strong, and you know where you're going, and you don't need anyone, especially not your parents, or any of us. And this is a waste of your time, and you don't have any problems. I know." Peter answered.  
  
Anna sighed, was she really that easy to read. "Don't mock me."  
  
"I mock no one." Peter defended himself  
  
Anna turned around "So what do you call what you just did?"  
  
"OK so maybe I mocked you a little. So how are you doing?"  
  
"In what sense?" Anna asked kicking at some dirt  
  
"Oh in the sense that you were dropped off here with no warning, your life was changed dramatically, your parents didn't come, you snuck in drugs and used them, and I know Scott did too, anything else you want to add?"  
  
"You knew Scott did too?" Anna asked surprised  
  
"Yes, and out of everything I just said that's the only thing that sank in? I'm waiting for Scott to come around and tell me himself."  
  
"So your sticking him with guilt gut?"  
  
"Yea, and you too, Scott was getting better and he was doing really good, but your stronger and you caught his eye and helped fall back into an old habit how does that make you fell?" Peter asked turning around and going to go back inside.  
  
Anna watched as Peter walked inside wishing she could talk but felt frozen inside and completely numb.  
  
********************  
  
"Did it work?" Sophie asked  
  
"No, this is going to be harder then I thought." Peter answered shaking his head.  
  
"Give it time." Peter and Sophie looked up when Auggie spoke up. "She isn't much for talking about how she feels but she will eventually."  
  
"Thanks Auggie."  
  
***********************  
  
"Hey so did Peter bust you?"   
  
"Course not, he's knows you were using them too though" Anna answered Scott  
  
"Well then we'll just have to have ourselves a little more fun before we both get busted." Scott smiled devilishly  
  
Anna flinched she had seen that look before, she felt like she was right back on the dark, cold, bleak streets, with her old crew. "Yea…"  
  
"So can you get some tonight?"   
  
Anna thought, she knew she should lie and say no, she didn't want to use anything anyway, she never did like it, but she answered "Yea, come on, there's gonna be a delivery tonight."  
  
*******************  
  
"Hey Anna" A tall, tough looking spanish guy said when he saw Anna coming through the woods. "Here ya go, it's on me tonight, I know you had it rough, so my treat, take care and call me if you need anything all right baby doll?"   
  
"Thanks Jorge."   
  
"Anytime." Jorge gave her a hug and disappeared into the dark.  
  
"Scott, come on." Anna called when Jorge was gone.  
  
"Baby Doll?" Scott smiled  
  
"Nickname. He's like my older brother."  
  
"Right and older brother that supplies drugs." Scott laughed and he pulled out a lighter.  
  
Anna frowned as he lit hers for her and she took hold of it and looked at it.   
  
****************  
  
"Where's Anna and Scott?" Ezra whispered to Daisy  
  
"Anna left during dinner and I saw Scott sneak out a little while ago."  
  
"Can you smell the trouble?" Ezra asked  
  
"Just keep it quiet." Daisy answered.  
  
"Fine, fine."  
  
"Hey guys." Peter walked by, he stopped and turned around "What's up?"  
  
"Nothing." They answered together.  
  
Peter looked around. "Where' Anna and Scott?" Daisy and Ezra didn't answer. "Right" Peter said hurrying off.  
  
*********************  
  
"Scott just chill a little will you?" Anna complained as she struggled to walk through the woods.  
  
"Come on Anna, baby, just stop a little here, no one will even miss us." Scott whispered in her ear "It'll be fun." He promised kissing her neck.  
  
"Let's go, I'm freezing out here."  
  
"We'll make each other warm with body heat, come on." Scott coaxed  
  
Anna could feel herself slowly losing control, she was falling back into the life she was sent away from, in a place that was supposed to protect her. "Please Scott?" She pleaded  
  
"What's wrong with you? You act like you want to be with me, and now your telling me to back off?" Scott asked irritated. "Make up your mind."  
  
Anna's lip trembled and tears fell down her face, she looked down.  
  
"Forget it." Scott scoffed and turned away. "Let's go back."  
  
"Scott don't be mad at me." Anna said  
  
"I'm not, I just thought… I thought you wanted."  
  
"It's to much now." Anna answered  
  
"I'm sorry baby" Scott gave her a hug.  
  
Anna felt tense, guys always apologized like this, they were never sorry, next they would…..Scott started to kiss her neck again, moving closer to her lips. Anna felt helpless, she kissed him back, falling into the motion of it. Anna broke off suddenly, a few minutes later.   
  
"We should get back." Anna said firmly  
  
Scott looked pissed but said nothing put his hand in his pockets and walked off towards Horizion.  
  
  
**********************  
  
"Why is it so damn dark in here?" Scott shouted as they walked into the main hall. Kids stopped and looked at him. "What the hell are you looking at?" Scott demanded of one kid.  
  
"Scott come on" Anna hissed.  
  
"Baby, I just want to know what the hell he is looking at." Scott said loudly.  
  
Anna led him down the hall towards Peter's office and knocked.  
  
"Come in" Peter called. He looked up. "Anna what can I do for you?" He asked surprised to see her tear-stained face.  
  
Anna looked distraught and looked like she wanted to run away. "I'm sorry" She cried it barely came out above a whisper.  
  
Peter stood up, "You can tell me." He moved towards the door.   
  
Anna opened the door more and Peter saw Scott, quietly ranting to himself, making no sense at all. Peter watched Scott, and Anna, and motioned for them to come inside his office.   
  
"Peter I just wanted to-" Sophie walked in and saw the scene "What happened."  
  
"Sophie, how nice of you to visit me" Scott called.  
  
"Peter what's going on?" Sophie asked  
  
"Scott used drugs, that's what."  
  
"Anna did you?" Sophie asked  
  
"No, I swear, I didn't even want to go in the first place, and then we did and he got high and he kept, it was like being back home I might as well as never left, it's the same." Anna answered pained.  
  
"Get someone to get Scott to bed." Peter said to Sophie "Anna we'll talk in the morning."   
  
***********************  
  
"You're back" Jules exclaimed as Anna walked into the cabin.  
  
"Peter's looking for you." Daisy told her.  
  
"I know I already talked to him, and Sophie." Anna answered walking over to her bed.  
  
"Are you in big trouble?" Daisy asked  
  
"I don't know, I don't care, I don't know why I had to come here nothing's changed."  
  
"Sometimes, it's when you don't think that things have changed that they have changed the most." Jules said to Anna.  
  
Anna sat up. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well you went and got drugs tonight right?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"Did you use them?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I don't know" Anna answered  
  
Jules went on "And then what happened?"  
  
"Scott, kept kissing me and wanting to stop and not go back right away." Anna replied  
  
"So why didn't you keep kissing him back or stay out and not come back right away?"  
  
"Cause, I didn't want to!" Anna exclaimed  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Cause what if something happened to Scott?"   
  
"So what? You don't care about anyone." Jules said  
  
"I had to come back, it wasn't safe or-"  
  
"Come on Anna, you ran the streets what's so dangerous about the woods? Do the squirrels carry knives or something?"  
  
"Would you please just stop!?! I couldn't stay out there, it was like being back on the streets again it was like going back instead of forward!" Anna yelled.  
  
"Nothings changed huh?" Jules asked turning off her light.  
  
Daisy looked on surprised, but shut her light, not wanting to get involved.   
  
Anna stopped where she was thinking about what just happened.  
  
The next morning Jules woke up and found a note of her nightstand.   
  
"Maybe you're right" ~Anna  
Jules smiled, and got up to get ready.  
  
Anna walked into Peter's office the next morning. "Anna it's early, what are you doing up?"  
  
"I think we need to talk." Anna said sitting down smiling.  
  
Peter grinned "Yes I believe we do."  
  
  
To be continued. I'll have the rest up soon, I was thinking maybe I'll have a surprise visit from an old cliffhanger…….lol please R&R  



	3. Talk the Talk

Hey I'm (finally) back for chapter 3 sorry it took so long I got distracted lol please R&R for me thanx  
  
"So what did you want to talk about?" Peter asks  
  
"I'm not good at talking. I never was really good at dealing and I don't know why I am sitting in your office." Anna says in one breath  
  
Peter holds up his hands "Whoa, first, slow down and second, just be open and honest."   
  
Anna opens her mouth to speak then shuts it thinking. "I don't know where to start."   
  
Peter chuckles "Ok well how about why are you here?"  
  
"Because my parents don't have the time to take care of a 16 year old troublemaker?" Anna says her statement being more of a question.  
  
"Do you know what your chart says?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, fighting, sneaking out, stealing, running away, sexually active…..it also says child neglect."   
  
"I don't have kids." Anna exclaims  
  
"It means you."   
  
"Me? Why would they think I'm neglected?"  
  
"Because you have done everything wrong except self-destructive behavior like cutting or an eating disorder."   
  
"But I choose to do those things."   
  
"And yet if your parents had taken care of you, maybe you wouldn't of done them." Peter protests  
  
"My parents, aren't me, I choose to do whatever I do, and I do whatever I do. I never asked them for advice or to help me out, I'm independent."   
  
"You're 16. A 16 year old isn't supposed to be independent." Peter argues  
  
"A 16 year old has to be independent if you've lived my life!" Anna shouts  
  
"Your life? I've seen 15 year old prostitutes!" Peter exclaims prompting Anna to fight with him so she would talk  
  
"I ran the streets I didn't have a choice, it was that or that shit-hole we lived in that my parents called a home. Yea it had for walls, heat and electricity but the streets were far more appealing."   
  
"Gravel and pavements vs. Heat and cable I can see why you chose the streets." Peter amuses   
  
"Who's side on you on anyway? My parents were never home and when they were they fought, my father would drink, my mother would yell and scream at him and they never wanted a kid, so they didn't care if I stayed out and never came home, and they never fought like normal people, my mom would turn off the water or something and my dad wouldn't pay the electricity bills. I don't know maybe I never gave them the time of day to work things out, but I didn't want to."   
  
"So you decided to run the streets." Peter supplies  
  
"Yea." Anna answers sitting down after her rant.   
  
"What was that like?"   
  
"Actually it was exciting at first. We would steal things we needed to live with, sneak into our houses during the day to shower and change, get some food maybe. We still went to school, but it changed I started to get into fights I was so angry all the time I couldn't not fight."   
  
"You always kept your grades up though." Peter says  
  
"I figured someday I might get out of there, and that my grades would pay off for something. I wanted out more then anything in the world. The administrators in my school tried to go easy on me, but that prompted me to be worse. Then after a while I didn't like those cold nights out on the streets, sleeping in cars or wherever, I got tired of having to get up in the middle of the night if the cops busted us. And someone introduced me to drugs, I was able to escape and I stopped caring, I let myself go and I felt free. I would drink and I would dance in the streets I would always so happy. People loved to be around me, they always said a ray of sunshine would come through the darkest nights if I were around." Anna's face then clouded over.  
  
"Then those drugs weren't good enough anymore, so I had to get other fixes and I would drink at the same time and be with guys, I figured I was going through a down time, then Auggie left, he was always there for me, and things got worse I even went home at one point and my mother screamed at me and my father cracked me across the face, that was when I knew I didn't have a home anymore. I went into my room and I stayed there just to piss them off cause I knew they didn't want me there and I kept coming back, I didn't even know what I was doing by then I was in a permanent haze. I got really sick one night and I got rushed to the hospital and I made all these promises I'd get better to my parents, be a kid that they could show off. And I was for about two weeks and then Auggie came back and I went out with him for the night, when I came back the next morning my parents told me I was a disappointment and told me to pack my things. And now I'm here."   
  
Peter smiles "And you didn't know why you were here."   
  
"I guess I did, deep down."   
  
"You have a lot of anger in you. And a lot of pain. That's why we're here to help you guys. You all have problems you're all in the same boat."  
  
"And we're all two inches away from sinking." Anna finishes "At least that's how I feel."   
  
"I felt that way at one point myself, I got my fixes with drugs."  
  
"You're a counselor telling us how to get out lives on track and you used to be an addict?" Anna asks surprised  
  
"See their is hope for you yet." Peter smiles. "So this was good, but this can't be the only time you talk, this has to be a reoccurring event."  
  
"Uh we don't have to have these little talks with my parents do we?" Anna asks before leaving  
  
"No, this is about you, not your parents." Peter tells her as she leaves  
  
"Hey Anna."   
  
"Morning Sophie." Anna greets her  
  
Sophie waits until Anna is gone before saying. "Peter, these meetings do go on with parents as well, you just lied to her."   
  
Peter shakes his head. "Anna's parents made it very clear when we called to confirm everything that they didn't want any part in this."   
  
"So they send her up here to get better, but don't want anything to do with it?"  
  
"They don't want anything to do with her, they don't have room in their lives for a child much less a troubled teenager."   
  
  
"Oh." Sophie says thoughtfully taking a seat.  
  
****************  
  
Anna walks cautiously into the main room where the cliffhangers are sitting. Auggie notices her and tells her to come in.  
  
Anna sits down barely glancing at Scott.   
  
"Anna." Scott whispers "I'm really sorry, don't be mad at me."   
  
"I thought you were mad at me."   
  
"Why would I be? You didn't force me to take drugs."   
  
"I didn't stop you either."   
  
"I treated you like crap last night. I know I did, I'm horrible when I'm high."   
  
"I'm no better, I'm pretty horrible even if I'm not." Anna admits  
  
"I don't get it, you seem so confident in yourself, but when you let down your guard, you seem so scared."   
  
"I'm always scared, of losing my life, or people I care about, or anything like that."   
  
"The feeling is mutual." Scott tells her.  
  
"Same goes for me." Jules admits  
  
"Me too." Auggie says and Daisy and Ezra nod in agreement.   
  
"Are you guys serious? I mean you're not saying this to make me feel better?" Anna asks  
  
"No, it doesn't matter why we're here, we're all scared and we all have problems that are way over our head." Jules says  
  
"Yea and we all come from the same place, a broken home maybe, the streets, we all feel the same way." Auggie adds  
  
"And we all have out ways of hiding and dealing with it." Daisy puts in.   
  
"It's not what I'd thought it would be up here." Anna says "I didn't think I would be able to figure myself out, in this little time."   
  
"You're past never leaves you, it haunts us at night, that's the hard part, putting it behind you and being ok with it."   
  
"And in between we climb a mountain or two." Ezra jokes  
  
"Yea Peter said as soon as you get better we're going to tackle our trip that was cut short again." Auggie laughs  
  
"Sounds interesting." Anna muses  
  
"It's only the beginning." Scott hands taking her hand into his own.   
  
To be continued. Please R&R 


	4. The Hike

Please R&R, sorry for the long delay.  
  
Anna wakes up a few nights later in a cold sweat, she climbs out of bed slowly and goes into the bathroom. "Ugh" She looks disgusted at the sight of herself. Her hair was straggly, her eyes bloodshot, her skin was pale. She grabs a sweatshirt and pulls in on then goes out into the cold night.  
  
The air sliced through her but it felt good, she took a seat on a table and leaned her head over till it was leaning on her knees. A burning sensation comes up her throat and she suddenly threw up.   
  
"Great." She pushes her hair back, and spits trying to rid her mouth of the taste.   
  
After a while she gets up and goes back to bed.   
  
"Morning" Jules says to Auggie as he sits down at the table.   
  
"Hey" Auggie looks over at Anna "She all right?"   
  
Jules shrugs "Not really."   
  
"Hey Anna" Auggie calls her   
  
Anna looks up from her plate and glances at him, she smiles slightly "Hey Auggie."   
  
"You ok?"   
  
"Been better." Anna replies looking back at her plate, pushing the food around.   
  
"You better eat, I heard we were taking our second take at the hike today." Jules advises  
  
"I'm not hungry really." Anna sits back looking around.   
  
Ezra come and takes a seat "All right, it's official, we're leaving after breakfast."   
  
"Great, there's nothing I enjoy more." Daisy comments taking a bite.   
  
Scott walks in and stands at the edge of the table. "Anna can you come with me a minute? I need to talk to you." He asks his hands in his pockets.  
  
Anna nods and follows him into the hall and leans against the wall silently   
  
"You don't look so great" Scott comments  
  
"You didn't ask me to come talk to you to tell me that." Anna replies   
  
"I know, I was going to tell you that this is the hardest part. But if you really don't feel that good I'd tell Peter or Sophie so you can stay behind and rest."   
  
"No, I'm going to go." Anna answers "But thanks."   
  
"Yea well it'll be all right. You go on the hike, we come back you do some work make some progress your parents come down you have a meeting. Then you stay and you're thrilled they're gone." Scott smiles "This place becomes your home and your family after a while."   
  
"I don't have to have meetings with my parents." Anna tells him  
  
"I know they suck at first, they usually always do. But everyone has to, it's part of the rehab."   
  
Anna pauses "Yea…. I'll meet you back there I have to go to the bathroom."   
  
"OK, see you in there." Scott smiles and kisses her softly on the cheek and walks away.  
  
Anna goes down the hall and stops at the doorway to Peter's office and tries the knob. It's open so she softly opens the door, goes in and shuts the door behind her. She walks over to the file cabinet but it's locked, the computer is on so she sits down in front of that instead.   
  
She starts typing and searching for her file. She pulls it up and reads it carefully. Everything was exactly like Peter had said except for one thing at the bottom, it read: No parental conferences—by request of parents.  
  
Anna stares at the screen for a minute before shutting down all of the screens and leaving.   
  
Anna joins the girls in their room and packs quickly   
  
"You're a pro at packing now." Daisy smiles jokingly   
  
Anna smiles back weakly but keeps going.  
  
"Are you all right?" Jules asks sitting on Anna's bed  
  
"I'm fine, I still feel a little sick." Anna explains  
  
"Come on girls, we want to get an early start." Sophie knocks on the door walking in "Anna?"   
  
"What's up?" Anna looks at her  
  
"How are you feeling? You don't look so great." Sophie asks kindly   
  
"I'll live" Anna zips up her bag "I'm ready."   
  
"All right, you two hurry up we'll meet you outside." Sophie tells Jules and Daisy  
  
Five minutes later everyone is outside ready to go.   
  
"Let's get going, I want to get to the campsite before dark." Peter announces starting to walk.   
  
"You look angry." Scott comments to Anna, they're bringing up the rear  
  
"I don't have any reason to be so why would I be?" Anna asks  
  
"Is the detoxification really bad?" Scott questions  
  
"I can handle it." Anna replies   
  
"If you want to talk, just tell me all right?"   
  
Anna's face softens "Yea."   
  
"This is it for today." Peter announces to the cliffhangers when they reach the campsite. "We made good time it's just starting to get dark. Auggie and Ezra you two start setting up camp, Daisy and Anna go collect some fire wood, Scott and Jules help out wherever you can."   
  
When they are done with their chores they take a seat, everyone is present except for Daisy and Anna who went back to get a little extra wood.  
  
"Want to tell me what's on your mind?" Daisy asks as they pick their way through the woods  
  
"Nothing." Anna replies distantly   
  
"Right. You can tell me."   
  
"So what happens after we go back?" Anna asks picking up a stick  
  
"Nervous?" Daisy teases "It's nothing really, we go and talk about whatever Peter decides to talk about….."   
  
"Oh." Anna says sitting on a log making it look like she is looking for more wood  
  
"Anything else?"   
  
"I found out something, I'm not really sure what to make of it though." Anna explains "I really hate my life."   
  
"Don't we all feel like that from time to time." Daisy sympathizes sitting down next to her.  
  
"I feel like that all the time. I can't go back into the past and redo it. I don't have the chance."   
  
"Yea but you have the chance to change now, if you want to." Daisy adds  
  
"I'm not really sure if I want to. Before I knew what I was had and what was going on. Now I don't know where I'll end up, who I am, who my friends are, who to trust or not to trust." Anna looks unnerved  
  
Daisy laughs "Welcome to horizon. Come on let's get back before they come out searching for us, they might think you fell off another cliff."   
  
"Funny." Anna snaps jokingly   
  
"Nice of the two of you to join us." Auggie jokes as they take a seat around the fire.  
  
"Yea I think we have enough wood to last us a few nights." Sophie jokes  
  
"Don't give her any ideas." Scott groans   
  
"So why the delay?" Peter asks knowingly   
  
Anna glances at Daisy. "I just wanted to feel like I was just alone for a while kind of like free." Daisy speaks up silencing Anna   
  
"Why's that?" Peter asks Daisy   
  
Daisy shrugs "Just needed to take a break I guess"  
  
"Daisy-"  
"It was my fault we took so long." Anna breaks in nervously   
  
Peter and Sophie shift their glances over to Anna "How come?" Sophie inquires   
  
"I wasn't smoking or anything like that." Anna says defensively   
  
"No one's accusing you of anything." Peter replies "Just tell us what's on your mind."   
  
"Uh……you told me no parental meetings were necessary, but that's not true. I mentioned it to Scott and he had said it was mandatory. I was kind of surprised since you said differently." Anna looks at Peter "So I checked it out… on your computer. The one thing they forgot to add onto my transcript is computer genius."   
  
Sophie looks at Peter, he rubs his chin slightly perturbed "Why don't you all turn in early, Anna stay behind." He finally says.  
  
Anna waits shifting her weight nervously while everyone goes into their tents. Finally it's just Sophie, Peter and Anna left standing.   
  
"Anna take a seat." Peter gestures "I was wrong to mislead you. You're right the parental conferences are mandatory but at your parents request-"  
  
"They just wanted me out of their lives they don't care if I ever go back. Scott told me sometime that it becomes home here and that kids have trouble leaving. I didn't really believe it though. I do now. It becomes home because the parents don't want their kids back so they stick around as long as possible."   
  
"That's not the case" Sophie tells her "Your parents weren't ready to be parents, they had you when they were teenagers themselves. They weren't ready for the world and they still aren't."   
  
"I'm still the one who gets screwed over it the end." Anna replies "I can change but my parents wont, so after this all I have is myself and whatever I can do in life. There's nothing to go home to because there's no home to go home to." Anna tells them "I will work to fix myself, but that's it."   
  
"Anna-"  
  
"I don't want to be a screw up forever, I can do this though." Anna stands up her hands in her pockets.  
  
"Your family may come around, we can try to get them to. We can - I can talk to them" Peter tells her  
  
"Do what you want, but if they don't want a part of me I don't want anything to do with them." Anna says and goes into her tent.  
  
"That was harsh." Sophie glances at Peter  
  
"Harsh words from a hurt girl." Peter replies "Her parents would rather sign her over legally to us then to have anything to do with her. It makes me wonder…."   
  
"How little do they care? And what has she done so horribly that they don't care." Sophie says softly more to herself then to him.   
  
  
More to come, please R&R thanks 


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